to 'make do and mend'

[Blinkybell]

We've had some friends to stay this weekend. Arrived late afternoon on Friday and left this afternoon and they've managed to really upset me.

On Saturday morning, DD was bunging her uniform in the washing machine when she asked if I could mend her blazer and PE skort. The pocket on her blazer had a hole in and a seam on her skort had come undone.

Friend said 'mend? Really? Why not just buy a new one?'

Because blazers are £35 and both jobs will take 10 minutes max

She said you could buy skorts in Matalan for a fiver, so I said yes, but it'll take 2 minutes to fix the seam and about 2p in cotton.

Her and her DH then fell about laughing, calling me Granny Blinky, saying 'make do and mend' in silly voices and just generally carrying on like they're the next big thing in stand up comedy.

Then she said - seriously though, aren't the kids embarrassed? I suppose you darn socks too (actually, yes, if it's just something simple like a hole in the toe, I do repair socks and tights).

DD asked what she should be embarrassed about and they went quiet.

I'm quite crafty and have made lots of stuff in our house - curtains, cushion covers, quilts for the kids, etc.

I'm knitting a big cuddly blanket at the moment. We were going out for breakfast this morning and while waiting for everyone to get ready, I knitted a couple of rows. Comments about granny Blinky again and how it's a 'real war effort round here' while standing there laughing at me.

When they left they said they were 'only joking' but I'm quite hurt by it. I don't mind a bit of banter, but this felt unpleasant - was all laugh/laugh/funny/funny at my expense.

I won't be inviting them back ever anytime soon

[Pacha11]

Eff 'em!

[Gingernaut]

YWNBU. TWBU.

They would rip the piss out of me completely.

I hate to see waste and will repair charity shop items rather than buy new.

I've got my eye on a lovely Dannimac coat for £8.99. It justs needs to have the button fixed at the top.

They were completely out of order and were truly horrible to do that in front of your DC.

More power to your elbow.

[ImFuckingSpartacus]

Your "friends" are assholes, with more money than sense.

[aintnothinbutagstring]

I do simple repairs all the time, much quicker to get out a needle and thread than to hunt down replacements in shops. I'm good at sewing and any repairs I do would be nigh on impossible so nothing embarrassing about it. More fool them I say, everyone should know how to carry out simple sewing jobs.

[ImperialBlether]

They are stupid and nasty. I wouldn't let them near me again.

[fourquenelles]

Bertrand Russell summed it up for me :

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt".

Your friends are stupid, don't doubt yourself!

[KayTee87]

Sorry op

These people aren't your friends.
I mend clothes and don't see a problem with it. If you do decide to see them again be prepared with points re wastefulness ruining the planet, cheap fashion meaning some poor child has worked their fingers to the bone to make etc.

[aintnothinbutagstring]

*impossible to see, that should be.

[KayTee87]

Also the blanket sounds amazing, wish you were my friend and I'd ask you to make me one in exchange for dinners & wine!

[NerrSnerr]

They are not your friends, they're arse holes.

[Blinkybell]

It's just normal to mend stuff like that isn't it?

DD kept losing her pen in the lining of her blazer, it was a quick job on the sewing machine.

The skort took a bit longer as I had to get a different machine out and re-thread it, but even that took about 10 minutes.

It would take far longer and much more hassle to drive into town, park, get a ticket, buy skort, drive home.

My mum always did quick mending jobs like this too.

Seems a bit weird to bin a blazer rather than just mend a small hole

[LooksBetterWithAFilter]

They are idiots. I would mend too and I've spent the afternoon baking for the week in my apron and will sit down to my knitting this evening.
It's so wasteful to buy new when it would take minutes to repair and my dc will always ask if I can sew somethung for them that's been ripped and they feel no embarrassment in fact they offer my services to friends that can't sew.

[RedBugMug]

yanbu
it's a good skill (mending things) and you set a good example.

[DramaAlpaca]

I'm with you OP, I mend & darn stuff all the time.

Your friends were rude and out of order.

[namechange20050]

Your friends sound like rude idiots. Don't invite them back.

[Blinkybell]

Sorry, x-posted.

Thanks all!

[MudCity]

OP, I am so envious of you. I can't sew, I can't knit. How I wish I could!

Take no notice of your friends.

[TheFlis12345]

Their attitude is the exact reason the planet is turning into such a mess, obscene levels of wastefulness.

[carteblah]

They weren't 'only joking' though, were they? They were belittling you and acting like repairing clothes was something you should be ashamed of. Then they picked up on the knitting so they could get a few more jabs in. Who on earth laughs at someone for being able to make a blanket from scratch? Idiots.

[Emphasise]

DS has just brought his blazer to me with the pocket hanging off (Sunday night better than Monday morning I suppose!) It hads't occurred to either of us to buy a new one. Cost aside it's quicker and easier to sew it up than it is to shop for a new one.

[LovingLola]

They are gobshites. Ignore them.

[JakeBallardswife]

Completely agree, surely its cheaper to mend rather than buy new?

[trappedinsuburbia]

So much easier to quickly mend something than traipsing to the shops never mind the waste of otherwise perfectly good clothes! Your friends are idiots.

[wonkylegs]

They are ridiculous & wasteful and what they are suggesting takes far more time than a quick repair.
I'm a mender too but basic sewing skills are a dying art, was talking to the cub leader the other day and she said she's always amazed by how many parents ask how they are supposed to sew on badges because they genuinely don't know (much to DSs annoyance I've taught him so he has no excuse although I did help when he came home with 8 the other day)
I learnt to sew things because I'm short and petite and find it hard to buy stuff the right size so often have to make alterations or I can't get clothes I want.

[Porpoiselife]

It's completely normal to mend things! Don't be inviting them back anytime soon!